It has been said many times by many well spoken people. There is not a lot
for me to add, other than suggest that I agree.
I agree that there is not a problem with patents. I personally wish they
were all 'free for use by anyone for any purpose'.
I agree that there is a problem with patents that are used as anything other
than 'free for use by anyone or any purpose' being incorporated into public
standards.
The public community, whom the internet ultimately serves, desires to continue
to benifit from the free exchange of information, ideas, and software.
If even one internet standard is agreed upon that is not freely available to
implement by anyone, then the day of the internet as we know it will have
passed. Certainly, other free standards will continue to develop and exist,
but a precedence will have been set for those wishing to take away our
freedom that 'hey they will let us do it!'.
There cannot be any compromise with the freedom that I as a user, that we as a
community, and you as a shepherd have come to enjoy. Do not take away our
freedom, do not allow RAND or anything else to become a standard so long as
it implements anything fee based or anything non-free.
There is no business reason, other than greed, for creating standards that
implement anything fee based or anything non-free.
Freedom. We had it yesterday, we have it today. Let us have it tomorrow!
--
Todd Fries .. todd@fries.net